HC Deb 03 August 1978 vol 955 cc592-4W
Mr. Edward Lyons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of jobs in the Bradford area that are dependent on Government grants and subsidies.

Mr. Golding

I regret that this information is not available in the form requested. The following table, however, gives details of the number of people in the Bradford area who have been helped

Number of people helped Area covered
Temporary employment subsidy … … 5,060 Bradford travel-to-work area
Work Experience programme … … 111 Bradford Parliamentary constituencies
Job Creation programme … … 742 Bradford local authority area
Youth Employment subsidy … … 292 Bradford travel-to-work area
Recruitment subsidy for school leavers … … 195 Bradford travel-to-work area
Job Release Scheme … … 613 Bradford travel-to-work area
Total … … … 7,013

The Bradford area also stands to benefit from the youth opportunities programme and the special temporary employment programme, which came into operation on 1st April, and from the recent extension of the small firms employment subsidy. Furthermore, I understand from the Department of Industry that 3,500 new jobs have been created and a further 120 jobs maintained as a result of Government financial assistance offered to firms in the Bradford travel-to-work area under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972.

Mr. Edward Lyons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to reduce the level of unemployment in the Bradford area; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Golding

The Government's special employment and training measures which have so far benefitted over 7,000 people in the Bradford area continue to be available to reduce unemployment. In the coming months the development of the youth opportunities programme and the special temporary employment programme and the recent extension of the small firms employment subsidy will all provide further help. In addition, as an assisted area, Bradford will continue to benefit from the regional incentives available under the Industry Act to encourage investment and stimulate employment. In the longer terms, the success of the Government's industrial strategy and the reduction of inflation will bring about the conditions in which unemployment can be brought down and kept down both in Bradford and in the rest of the country.

by the special employment measures operated by my Department and the Manpower Services Commission since the various schemes began: